[:en]
SHANGHAI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
CONTEMPORALE
Curated by Split Works
Presents: BILL CALLAHAN
“One of America’s most enigmatic singer-songwriters. Bill Callahan has frequently been hailed as the Leonard Cohen of his generation.”– The Telegraph
Bill Callahan, the artist previously known as Smog, will come to China as the third artist for Contemporale, the monthly series at the home of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, lovingly put together by Split Works. This prolific American singer-songwriter is known for setting poetic lyrics against a backdrop of simple yet profound melodies, sparking magical emotions in his listeners.
Sometimes described as the “new Leonard Cohen” and often as a “musician’s musician”, Bill will be accompanied by fellow guitarist Matt Kinsey and a small ensemble of strings and flute for a select number of songs.
On Sunday November 23, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Hall will be treated to a unique acoustic performance, another first for the newly minted venue.
Callahan’s singing is characterized by his striking baritone voice. Melodically and lyrically he tends to eschew the verse-chorus approach favored by many contemporary songwriters, preferring instead a more free-form approach that relies less on melodic and lyrical repetition. His generally dispassionate delivery of lyrics and dark irony often evoke complex emotional and lyrical twists and turns.
In the late 1980s, Callahan broke into the music scene with a lo-fi style of underground rock, putting out homemade albums recorded on four track tape recorders. He was a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment and much of his early output was instrumental – a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his later work. After signing to the Drag City label, he started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.
From 1993 to 2000, he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O’Rourke and Tortoise’s John McEntire, and collaborated with Neil Hagerty. After this, Callahan returned to a slightly simpler recording style, while retaining the more consistent songwriting skills he had developed over the years.
In 2007, Bill Callahan parted with the “Smog” moniker and released the album Woke On a Whaleheartunder his own name. Since then, he has released four more albums – the last of which, Have Fun With God, came out in January 2014.
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Split Works welcomes you to experience Bill Callahan’s lyrical and melodic genius in the intimacy of the Chamber Hall as part of Contemporale.
Show Information
【Shanghai】
Date: November 23, 2014 Sunday
Time：7.45pm*
*Performance will start promptly at 7.45. Please arrive 45 minutes prior to show time.
Location: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Hall
Address: 1380 Middle Fuxing Road, Xuhui District, near Baoqing Road (徐汇区复兴中路1380号，近宝庆路)
Price：130RMB
Presale link: https://yoopay.cn/event/BillCallahan
Please complete your payment within 30 mins, otherwise your reservation will not be processed.
* Pre-sales end on 23:30, Nov. 22nd, 2014
About Split Works:
Split Works is a Beijing and Shanghai based concert promotion agency. Since 2006, we’ve been putting on killer parties and shows throughout Asia, working with brilliant artists from across the globe. In 2009, we launched JUE | Music + Art and also produce branded campaigns through our sister company, communications agency Splatter. We love China, we love music, we love you.
Links
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra official website：www.sh-symphony.com
Split Works official website：www.spli-t.com
Drag City official Bill Callahan webpage: www.dragcity.com/artists/bill-callahan
[:zh]
上海交响乐团 呈现
CONTEMPORALE当代变奏系列演出
忧情歌者 比尔·卡拉汉 Bill Callahan专场
由 Split Works 策划
作为美国最为传奇的歌手之一，Bill Callahan一直以来被誉为是这一时代的 Leonard Cohen。—— The Telegraph
CONTEMPORALE，来自于Contemporary和Opera两个单词的组合，从字面上即可获知，这将是一次气质优雅的古典音乐和特立独行的当代流行音乐之间的碰撞。2014年11月，由Split Works策划，上海交响乐团呈现的“CONTEMPORALE 当代变奏”系列演出将继续将世界优秀音乐人的独立音乐带到音乐厅。
在美国的Lo-Fi/Indie圈，Smog无疑是个传奇的名字，乐队主脑Bill Callahan惯用一台家用四轨录音机录制的作品曾感动和启发了无数乐迷和乐手，而他之后与著名美国独立厂牌Drag City长久稳定的合作关系也成了独立界的一段佳话。自1988年出版首张卡带作品至今， Smog乐队共发表十多张专辑，作为低保真（Lo-Fi）音乐的代表，被永久载入独立音乐史册，低调神秘，特立独行。
在以Smog的名义做了20年的音乐之后，Bill Callahan于2005年决定以自己的本名发表作品。Callahan自己的音乐，和Smog时期多少有些不同。当年对四轨机的迷恋和固执，到现在被相对更好的录音所替代；从当年坚持用一种乐器演奏一支曲子，到现在略显丰富的配器；更重要的，是比起当年的迷幻少年心气，如今忧郁敏感的低沉吟唱更加令人沉醉。不过，即便是这样，Bill Callahan的作品里依然延续着晚期Smog的作品里那些福音，灵魂以及流行音乐色彩。在大部分作品里，Callahan的个人音乐以原声音乐为主，配上坦诚深情的演唱，有时甚至加上优雅的弦乐伴奏。但他也时不时会给乐迷带来一些惊喜，比如在2011年的专辑《 Apocalypse》里，他就加入了许多带有浓烈美国乡村和布鲁斯韵味的歌曲，而这样不喜欢按理出牌的做法，正是使得Callahan可以从众多的创作歌手中脱颖而出，令人一听难忘的关键所在。
能将这位触及灵魂的音乐艺术家带进上海交响乐团音乐厅让我们无比激动。感谢上海交响乐团的远见，让独立音乐人的歌声响彻音乐厅。让我们在“CONTEMPORALE当代变奏”的演出上见！
演出信息
CONTEMPORALE 当代变奏 系列演出
忧情歌者 比尔·卡拉汉 Bill Callahan专场
日期：2014年11月23日 星期日
时间：19:45
地点: 上海交响乐团音乐厅 演艺厅
地址: 徐汇区复兴中路1380号，近宝庆路
票价：130RMB
预售链接：https://yoopay.cn/event/BillCallahan
选完座后请大家在30分钟内完成付款，超时我们将不为您保留已选座位！谢谢！
*预售将于2014年11月22日，晚上23:30分结束！
相关链接
上海交响乐团音乐厅官方网站：http://www.sh-symphony.com/
Split Works官方网站：https://spli-t.com
Bill Callahan 的Drag City主页：www.dragcity.com/artists/bill-callahan
关于Split Works
Split Works是一家基于上海和北京的外资音乐演出公司，一直和诸多国际品牌进行合作，始终围绕音乐、品牌、创意和青年文化组织和推广各类活动。2006年成立至今，Split Works已为Sonic Youth、Diplo、Owl City、Jose Gonzalez、Ghostface Killah、Andrew Bird等众多艺术家举办过中国及亚洲地区的演出，并成功举办了2007年 “十跃”音乐节以及2011年在北京上海跨城上演的黑兔音乐节。从2009年起，Split Works每年主办《觉》音乐+艺术节，今年六岁的《觉》是一个为期三周的，将北京和上海的创意艺术家和爱好者聚集在一起的开源城市音乐艺术节。[:]